A man drove a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans early on Wednesday morning, killing 15 and injuring at least 25 more according to police. Federal investigators have confirmed the suspect died during a shootout with police.
After exiting the vehicle, the suspect reportedly used an assault-style rifle to open fire, shooting and injuring at least two police officers. The FBI has said the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The suspect “was hell-bent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did," according to New Orleans police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
Witness descriptions and photos and videos from social media detail a destructive, chaotic scene at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal Street, one of the primary intersections in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter neighborhood. News footage showed many orange and white temporary A-frame construction barriers were scattered after being driven through and that steel barriers designed to prevent a vehicular attack were not in place.
"A horrific act of violence took place on Bourbon Street earlier this morning,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wrote in a post on X. “Please join Sharon and I in praying for all the victims and first responders on scene. I urge all near the scene to avoid the area."
One image getting a lot of attention on social media shows what is suspected to be the white pickup truck responsible for the attack, with a Texas license plate. According to Newsweek, the truck was purchased in August. Officials said that the suspect is not the same person who the truck is registered to.
Just before the 11 a.m. official press conference, The New York Times reported that the vehicle used in the attack “is registered to a 42-year-old Houston man, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the evidence, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a fast-developing investigation. The F.B.I. is investigating to determine if the owner of the vehicle was involved in the attack.”
Bourbon Street attacker was in full military gear and apparently not local, Moreno says https://t.co/ZOmSTcLCoq
— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) January 1, 2025
According to KPRC 2 in Houston, the Pasadena Police Department is also reportedly involved in the investigation of the white pickup truck.
At 11 a.m. NOLA.com, the official site for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, reported that "the suspect accused of plowing a truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street is 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, according to a law enforcement source."
The site also noted that the truck had an ISIS flag attached to its tailgate. CNN reported that contrary to President-elect Donald Trump's statement suggesting the suspect arrived in the country illegally, that the suspect was a U.S. citizen. The news channel also reported that explosives were found in a chest inside the truck.
Multiple outlets have reported that a man with the name Shamsud Din Jabbar held a Houston address and was reportedly a U.S. military veteran. The FBI has also said that it believes the suspect did not act alone, with investigators locating a number of homemade explosives along Bourbon Street after the attack.
New Orleans was scheduled to host the Sugar Bowl college football playoff game on Wednesday night between the University of Georgia and University of Notre Dame. Officials with the city and with the bowl game announced on Wednesday afternoon the game will be postponed until Thursday night.
